'Ways we can act collectively to start disrupting the system and cure our addiction to fossil fuels'

The Indie's GreenWatch columnist Louise Tennekoon writes about environmental matters from a Bishop's Stortford perspective...

The big oil companies have been grabbing a lot of headlines lately. First was Shell with its record £32 billion in profits. Last week it was BP with a mere £27.7 billion, announcing in the same breath that it was scaling back its climate targets.

Two weeks previously it was reported that scientists working for US oil giant Exxon had accurately predicted climate change decades ago, long before UN scientists reached the consensus that we have today. Exxon knew exactly how climate change would play out, but chose to hide the science and to attack and undermine modelling that matched their own. To see Exxon's graphs overlaid on those showing actual temperature rise is chilling.

In the face of revelations like these, it's easy to feel powerless. I find myself returning again and again to one question: with such powerful systems at work, what's the point of me doing anything at all?

It is often said that if we all 'do our bit' then it will be 'okay'. This narrative is widely repeated in the media: a quick internet search for an example led me to The Guardian (normally a climate hero) and an article on "50 Ways to Save the Planet". Tip number one: Wrap gifts in fabric and tie with ribbon instead of tape and paper. Hmm.

The same thread runs through business and politics. Think back to the Tory leadership debate last summer when the only question Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak were asked about climate change was 'What three things should people change in their lives to help tackle climate change faster?'

It's such a strong narrative that, in climate circles, it feels almost heretical to challenge it. But I worry that it distracts us from the real issues, from the systemic change that is needed. The oil company executives must rub their hands with glee when they hear people talking about doing their bit.

Small actions distract us, pacify us, make us feel just better enough to go on with life as usual. But they won't cure our addiction to fossil fuels.

'Doing your bit' is strongly linked to the idea of reducing your own carbon footprint. The personal carbon footprint has been around since the early Noughties, when it was dreamt up as part of a BP marketing campaign. Suddenly the spotlight was on the individual: What are you doing to save the planet?

What seems like a harmless idea can quickly become divisive. It triggers judgement and shame – "You mean you still fly?" (yes, I do, but less than I did). It makes us attack others – those people with their private jets, their 4x4s, their patio heaters. As long as we are focusing our anger on each other, we are not directing it where it belongs: at the fossil fuel companies who are knowingly pursuing profit over the future of the planet.

No-one puts it better than Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the UN, who in January said: "Fossil fuel producers and their enablers are still racing to expand production, knowing full well that their business model is inconsistent with human survival." He later called for "no more baby steps. No more excuses. No more greenwashing. No more bottomless greed of the fossil fuel industry and its enablers".

But for now, the fossil fuel companies have the upper hand. So where does this leave me? Do I stop doing my bit?

I have concluded that giving up can't be the answer. I know that, acting alone, I cannot change the world. But acting collectively we can nudge, even start to disrupt, the system and that's when change begins to look possible.

Here are some ideas for what to do – and there's no wrapping paper in sight!

Make the best buying choices you can. Get informed and think before you buy. You don't have to be perfect. Pick one or two things and commit to them consistently, such as avoiding palm oil or buying Better Cotton. When enough people make different choices, the market responds.

Ask awkward questions. These begin at home: why is East Herts Council pushing ahead with plans for Old River Lane which, according to Affinity Water, pose a "significant risk to groundwater" and the public water supply? And which will increase traffic congestion in areas already blighted by poor air quality. Why is there no bike lane connecting the Bishop's Stortford North development with the town centre? etc.

Join a local group. There are plenty of groups you can add your voice to, including Bishop's Stortford Climate Group (bishopsstortfordclimategroup.org), Cycle Stortford (@cyclestortford on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) and Bishop's Stortford Civic Federation (www.stortfordcf.org.uk).

Vote. Local elections are coming up and a General Election is not that far behind. Vote for the people who walk the talk on climate. For starters, you might want to check out Julie Marson's record on climate change at www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/25879/julie_marson/hertford_and_stortford/votes#environment.

Talk about climate change. Yes, it's hard to do, but every time we talk about it, we normalise the conversation and enable other people to talk about it too.